Harlots of Hades
by Query
Summary: A man is walking down the street. Standing ten feet from him are two women from a past relationship. Five feet away is the woman he had a one night stand with. Fifteen feet away is his girlfriend. Which woman will land the first punch?
1. The Phone Call

General Disclaimer: The character Dee Lemma/Xiaohu/Query is the sole creation of me. Unauthorized use of my characters is not allowed. All other characters (Batman, The Riddler, and all other DC created Gothamites) are property of DC Comics.  
  


~ ~ ~

  
  
The flight home from England had, thankfully, been uneventful. Our pilots taxied us directly into a hanger, where we disembarked. Benny and Trigger unloaded the luggage, Dee played with her tiger, and I took the time to pay my pilots.  
  
These two young men were cousins of Benny who had needed a helping hand in order to keep them out of the drug dealing that was so proliferate in their neighborhood. In need of pilots at the time, I had agreed to send the boys to flight school, provided they fly for me whenever I needed them. The deal had been accepted readily, and now the two made money on the side with charter flights (all approved by me when my plane was used), or renting themselves out to those who had a plane, but were in need of a pilot.  
  
Once they were paid, the two headed off in order to start spending their money, leaving me to stand and either watch the boys unload, or my girlfriend play with her pet. I chose the latter, obviously. But as I watched her, I couldn't help but be reminded of her actions in England. Was this girl, who could be so gentle, really the same one that I had watched disembowel two men? The difference in her was like night and day.  
  
Now she wandered over to me, holding Tangram like a baby. She nudged me, playfully, and leaned against me. Her actions that day had been nothing to her, but they plagued my dreams.  
  
"Eddie, we're hungry. Can we stop someplace and have lunch? Someplace where we can take him with us?" she asked, waving one of Tangram's paws at me.  
  
"The only place I could think of going is over to Garibaldi's. Renato has a private room that he'll let us sit in."  
  
She frowned at me. "I'm not really in the mood for Italian right now."  
  
"Well, what do you want? We can order something to go and eat it back at the warehouse, if you'd like."  
  
"I want to spend some time alone with you while we eat. Away from home," she pouted.  
  
I sighed. I was tired, not really in a mood to put up with her finicky ways at the moment. "Fine. Oswald will let us bring him into the Iceberg Lounge. He'll give us a booth out of sight so no one sees him. That little ruffian is still being searched for, you know."  
  
Dee stood on tiptoe and kissed me on the cheek. "Thank you, Eddie."  
  
Tangram yawned in her arms, then chuffed at her, pawing her chin.  
  
"We're going to go eat, darling. Daddy's going to take us out, and we'll get you a nice steak to eat," she said, touching noses with the beast.  
  
"Benny, Trigger, would you take the bags back to the warehouse? We're going to go eat and we'll be back soon enough."  
  
"Sure thing, boss," Trigger replied, slinging a bag of my suits over his shoulder.  
  
"Your bank accounts should be up-to-date by this evening. There's a lot of business that I need to attend to, and I might need your help later this week or next. Other than that, feel free to take some time off."  
  
The two nodded. I made a quick phone call to the Iceberg, and then led Dee out of the hanger. Oswald was sending a car for us, and preparing a booth. While the man was a pompous windbag at times, he did take care of his customers.  
  


~ ~ ~

  
  
"Happy?" I asked after we had been served.  
  
Spearing a piece of roast chicken onto her fork, and covering it with mashed potatoes, she nodded with a grin. "Very! This is really good. Want some?" she offered.  
  
"No, I'm fine, thanks," I said, eating my steak.  
  
The good thing about being a regular at the Iceberg Lounge was that everyone not only knew who I was, but knew what I wanted and liked. The bartender had sent over a tumbler and my reserved bottle of scotch without even having to be asked. Another great thing was if you wanted some privacy, you got it. Well, sort of. I knew, for a fact, that Oswald had many of the "private" booths bugged with listening devices, and some with visuals, all for the sake of getting information on his customers that they wouldn't willingly share with him.  
  
I had just finished my food, and was working on getting pleasantly buzzed with scotch, when Raven, one of the hostesses, came over to let me know there was a phone call for me, from Trigger. Now, normally, they would bring over the cordless extension. However, she said that Trigger had asked that I come to the front desk to take the call. I felt the hair go up on the back of my neck.  
  
"Yes, Trigger?"  
  
"Boss, you gotta come back to the place right now," he said, sounding anxious.  
  
"Trigger, I'm in the middle of eating. Is it really that important?" I asked, exasperated.  
  
There was a loud crash, and I could hear Benny in the background, shouting.  
  
"Trigger, what is going on over there? That noise had better not be coming from my study or my room!"  
  
"I'm in the study right now, boss. That's um..." There was a short pause. "Your room. Look, you really need to get back here _now_!" he insisted.  
  
"I'll be over as soon as I can. Let me just get Query and..."  
  
"No! Boss, don't bring her!" warned Trigger, his voice going beyond anxious, to outright paranoia. "It's... It's... Boss, the girls are back."  
  
At that moment, I felt my heart stop, and I was suddenly sweating profusely. I nodded, even though I was on the phone.  
  
"Trigger, keep them away from my room any way you have to. I'm coming over right now."  
  
Hanging up, I asked Raven to get a ride set up for me, immediately. As she did that, I hurried back to the booth, where Dee was busy having Tangram snap chicken necks out of the air.  
  
"Kitten, something came up, and I need to deal with it right now. Take your time and finish your meal. I'll send one of the boys to pick you up here in a little while, ok?"  
  
She tilted her head and looked at me. "Is everything ok? You need me to go?"  
  
Waving my hands, I said, "Oh, no! No. Everything is ok, just this er... Business. Yes. Business that I need to get done right now. It'll just be boring for you. No need for you to go."  
  
Without another word, I turned and headed back to the front desk, cursing myself. That was not smoothly done at all, and I would have a lot of explaining to do later. But she was staying, and at this moment, that's what mattered.  
  
Raven held the door for me as I swept out, and into the awaiting car. I gave the driver instructions, and tried to regain my composure on the drive to the warehouse.   
  



	2. Trashed

  
  
The driver wasn't going as fast as I wanted, but I refrained from snapping at him. When we finally made it to the warehouse, I threw a fifty at him, and nearly ran to the door. Putting my hand on the knob, I took a deep breath and opened it. A shrieking noise greeted me, and I had to duck as one of the crystal vases that had held part of the tiger lilies I had given Dee, sailed toward my head. Throwing myself to the floor, I covered my head, just as the vase smashed against the wall, showering me with shards of glass.  
  
_One, two, three, four..._  
  
Another vase smashed against the wall, this time a little ways down from me. Slowly and carefully, I stood up. The shrieking stopped, and as I stood, the tinkle of glass shards falling from my clothes and hair took over. Across the room was Benny, Trigger just down the hall near my study. Frozen against Benny, both trying to push away from the grip he had managed to get on them, was brunette Nina Damfino and blonde Diedre Vance, once known as Echo and Query, respectively. In her hand, Nina held another vase, Diedre, a smashed comm unit. The two were wearing skimpy, studded leather, and fishnet stockings; outfits similar to what they were wearing when I first hired them.  
  
"Eddiekins!" screeched Diedre.  
  
"You came back!" finished Nina.  
  
The habit of Diedre to start a sentence, only to have Nina finish it, had always annoyed me. I suppose I had tolerated the two because they did their job, and for the most part, could deal with the riddles. And, I have to admit, on nights when I was lonely they were around to ease that. I had settled, deciding that there was no way my personal life would get any better, so I should take what I got, when I got it. Of course, these two took what they could, when they could as well. After they would sleep with me, any cash I had that wasn't in the safe, would be gone.  
  
Now that I had a taste of what could be with Dee, I started to feel ashamed of everything I had ever done with these two, and what I had allowed them to do to me. Sex had been more of a slave and master versus the genuine exchange of affections that I got with Dee. Also, I had quickly become accustom to the fact that Dee was not demanding, and manipulative. Well, not manipulative in the same ways that these women were. Where they manipulated me to get trinkets or more money than they had rightfully earned, Dee would manipulate me to get attention for herself, or, as she had done earlier, a meal where she wanted, when she wanted.  
  
The differences between what they were, and what she was were now clearer to me than before. While I had known of the dissimilarities, seeing these two back in my hideout now shoved those into a brighter light. They were dirty and uncouth in comparison. Dee's training for the Triad showed how much more poise she had, and respect for others, as well as the property of her coworkers. She never would have come into the warehouse, or any other hideout, and started trashing it as these two were.  
  
Silently, I stood there, surveying the damage these two had done. They must have been here for a while, as there were dishes stacked around with food clinging to them, and molding. There were beer cans and empty bottles of hard liquor tossed carelessly around. On the walls, they had decided to play games of tic-tac-toe and hangman with purple and green spray paint from the garage. The furniture, including my favorite chair, was shredded here and there, my best dagger sticking out of the couch arm. I didn't even want to think about the rest of the hideout at the moment.  
  
"I'm back, yes. What are you two doing here?" I asked, trying very hard to keep my voice level.  
  
"We heard some stupid rumor that you had hooked up with someone..." started Diedre.  
  
"...and we came to see if it was true," finished Nina.  
  
"But you..."  
  
"...weren't here when we came by."  
  
"So we decided to wait for you..."  
  
"...and have ourselves some fun!"  
  
"Ok, stop that right now. Diedre, why would it matter if I had hired someone else after you two took everything from the last heist, all of my gold and silver cufflinks and tie tacks, and emptied my safe before you left? You think that you can continuously take advantage of me and come back?!" I demanded.  
  
"We needed the money..."  
  
"...for new clothes!"  
  
"Nina, shut up. Do not speak unless I tell you that you may do so. Do not even _breathe_ too loudly!" I snarled. I motioned for Benny to let them go, waving for him and Trigger to leave the room. They disappeared into their own room, leaving me with the two jackals. "I have hired someone else to take your place. Please note that I only had to hire one to do the job of the two of you."  
  
"You need us, Eddie. You know you do. Two heads are better than one," Diedre said, giving Nina a wink.  
  
From across the room, I watched as the two started walking toward me. The way they looked, and they way they moved, though it was supposed to be seductive, caused me to feel like a wounded fish being circled by sharks. I stood my ground, knowing one thing that they didn't know: They no longer held any power over me.  
  
"Oh, Eddie," purred Diedre, putting a hand on my shoulder. Her hand felt like slime as it slipped down the front of my jacket, and pushed between my jacket and shirt.  
  
"We're sorry we made you mad," Nina chimed, doing the same on the opposite side.  
  
"You've had a long flight, and you're cranky because of that. We know how to make you feel better." Diedre started to loosen my tie, while Nina unbuttoned my shirt. "Just give us..."  
  
"...two minutes, and you'll be so happy," Nina breathed, pressing herself against me.  
  
"Get off me," I snapped, trying to push them away.  
  
They laughed, each holding an arm down, sandwiching me between the two of them. With their free hands, they continued to unbutton my shirt, heading toward my pants. I tried to shrug them off, and ended up on the floor, under both of them. The more I thrashed about, the firmer they held me. After a few minutes of fighting with them, I stopped trying to catch my breath.  
  
"So this is the 'business' you had to deal with! Edward Nigma, you are the biggest liar I have ever had the displeasure of meeting!" roared Dee.  
  
With everything going on, I hadn't even heard her come in. Thankfully, it made the two harlots stop and let me go. I stood quickly, facing Dee. At her side, Tangram bristled and growled. Her hands were in tight fists at her side, eyes narrowed to slits. She didn't have her ring on at the moment, but I knew it was nestled in her breast pocket. I had put it there before we had landed, when she had pounced on me in my dressing room.  
  
She looked me up and down with distaste. "You might want to tuck yourself in."  
  
Blushing furiously, I did as she said, zipping my pants back up, and hurriedly buttoning my shirt. I attempted to tuck the tails back in as I stammered. "Dee! This... This isn't what you think!"  
  
"Oh yes it is!" giggled Diedre, throwing her arms around my neck.  
  
"It's exactly what you think!" tittered Nina, her arms going around my waist.  
  
This time I wasn't at all gentle in trying to dislodge the two from me. Grunting, I threw my arms wide, knocking them to the floor.  
  
"I told you to get off of me, and I meant it!" I bellowed.  
  
Instead of looking angry, the two looked pleased. On all fours, they started to crawl toward me, greasy smiles of pleasure on their faces. I'm not ashamed to say that I bolted toward Dee, in hopes of using her as a shield against the two. The moment I put a hand on her, she threw me to the ground, holding my arm as she placed one of her booted feet against my throat. My arm burned, and I was forced to stay still, unless I wanted my air cut off and my arm broken at the shoulder.  
  
"Don't you touch me you sleaze!" She looked far more hurt than I had ever seen her look before. She hadn't even looked this hurt the day I tried to break things off between us.  
  
"Kitten, you were supposed to wait until I sent Benny or Trigger to pick you up," I gagged, trying to keep things neutral between the two of us. It wasn't working, and she gave my arm a small twist to know she wasn't happy with my response.  
  
"Wait until you were done with them? You left me sitting there telling me you had important business to deal with. Business that I would find boring! I don't find this boring, I find it disgusting! How could you?! How could you leave me there to come have a romp with these two tramps?"  
  
"Watch it, girlie," Diedre sneered, standing up now.  
  
"'Less you wanna find yourself with a bloody nose," piped Nina.  
  
"Kitten, let me up so we can talk about this, please?"  
  
Instead of answering me, she released my arm, flinging it at me, and stepping on my chest as she walked over me. I thought she was going to confront the other two women, but she didn't. She walked right past them, and down the hall to our bedroom.  
  
"You two need to leave immediately. You've caused me enough trouble," I spat.  
  
The door to the bedroom slammed, and Dee came storming back down the hall, holding the suitcase she had taken to Europe. Tangram still trailed her, his tail lashing back and forth. I noticed that she still hadn't put her ring on, and hurried over, taking her by the shoulders.  
  
"Dee, this really isn't at all what you think. Trigger called me to tell me that these two had shown up..."  
  
"Be quiet, Edward. I don't want to hear your excuses!" She closed her hand around the little silver question mark at her throat. With a tug, she snapped the chain, and then shook my hands off. "I believe this is yours."  
  
With that, she threw the pendant at me, shoved past, and headed for the door to the garage.  
  
"Dee!" I called out, stepping forward to go after her.  
  
Diedre and Nina intercepted me, knocking me back to the ground. I stared at the door to the garage in shock, as I heard my car start up, and the squeal of tires as she peeled out and drove away. Now feeling the weight of the girls on me, I writhed in effort to free myself. From somewhere, one of them had produced a pair of handcuffs, which now snapped around my wrists.  
  
"Who woulda thought you would hook up..."  
  
"...with a prude like that!"  
  
As a last ditch effort, I called for Benny and Trigger to get the two off of me.   
  



	3. Past Indiscretions

  
  
A special thanks to Chris Dee for giving me permission to use events that happened in her Cat Tales story, _Torches_. The characters Clurissa and Doris belong to her.  
  


~ ~ ~

  
  
Dee wasn't certain if she wanted to cry or scream. She also wasn't certain about where she was going at the moment. What she did know was that she had to leave the warehouse before she hurt that damn man! It wasn't like he wouldn't deserve it, after what she saw him doing with those women. But she couldn't bring herself to hurt him, or them in the way she wanted to. She wanted to rip their throats out as she had done with the men in England. But the thought of Eddie looking at her the way he had when he had helped her get cleaned up was too much. So she fled instead.  
  
When she had gone into the bedroom, she had only intended to lock herself inside. The bedroom was in shambles, though, all of her clothing strewn about, ripped, and smeared with Buddha knew what. She couldn't deal with that. It was one thing that those women had trashed the hideout, but it was another thing that they had violated her personal items. Her bag was still packed, and it had clean clothing in it, so she had snatched that up and left.  
  
For three hours, she drove around before she finally stopped. Pulling the car over, and took stock of where she had just driven herself. She was at the edge of Robinson Park. Chewing her lower lip, she looked over at Tangram who sat in the passenger seat.  
  
"Darling, we're going to have to find a place to stay for tonight. We'll see if Auntie Pam is home, and if she'll let us stay with her, ok?"  
  
The tiger nuzzled her open palm, chuffling comfortingly. Dee scratched his ear, and then put the car back into gear, heading into one of the park's lots. For the time being, she would leave her bag in the car, coming back for it if Pamela Isley was around. She could have gone to Jiaoshu's, but right now, she didn't want to be around her family. They would ask too many questions that she simply did not want to answer right then.  
  
As she walked into the park with Tangram trotting happily next to her, she began to wonder if it was a good idea to go to Poison Ivy. She had become friends with her during her time in Arkham; moreso than she had with Harley Quinn. The clown girl was too erratic even for Dee. While her fixation on the Joker gave Dee the chills, she knew the woman mostly meant well, and therefore got along with her. Being in the line of work that she was in, Dee really couldn't be too choosy about her choices for friends. Pam and Harley were the best that she could hope for. Still, there were many of Edward's crowd that she hadn't met.  
  
"Pam? Pam, are you around?" she called out when she reached a dilapidated greenhouse she knew Pam often used for a hideout in the park.  
  
The door to the greenhouse edged open, and the green eyes of her friend peeked around the edge. At the sight of Dee standing there, she threw the door open wide.  
  
"Q! What are you doing here? Where have you been?" She ushered Dee inside. "He isn't going to claw anything, or use my plants for a toilet, is he?" she added, pointing at the cub.  
  
"No. He's good." She paused, wringing her hands. "I just... Edward and I..."  
  
Ivy raised an eyebrow. "Man problems?"  
  
Dee nodded, blinking back tears.  
  
"I was going to head out and get some dinner. Want to go with me?"  
  
"I'm not hungry, but he's going to need food really soon."  
  
"It's ok. We'll eat, you drink. I think you need it."  
  
Dee let herself be steered into Pam's car. For the second time that day, she found herself entering the Iceberg Lounge. They walked right past the bouncers, and to Pam's reserved booth, stepping behind the curtain of ivy across the front.  
  
"Your usual, Ms. Isley?" the waitress asked as she came to the table.  
  
"Yes, please, Swan."  
  
"Um. Oswald had some chicken parts earlier that he let my tiger have. If it isn't too much trouble, could I get some more of that for him? And I'll have a Midori sour, please."  
  
"Anything to eat?"  
  
"Not right now, thank you."  
  
"So tell me what's going on," prompted Ivy.  
  
"Eddie took me out to eat after we landed. We came here. While we were eating, he got a phone call. He came back to our table acting strange. Told me he had some business to attend to that couldn't wait. Said he'd send one of the guys to come pick me up in a little while, and to stay and finish eating. Then he just took off! The way he was acting was not at all like him. He tells me everything, Pam! He's never kept business dealings from me before, and suddenly it's something that's going to be too 'boring' to even tell me! But it's too important to leave for later."  
  
"So he just took off. What did you do?"  
  
"I sat here for a moment, until the waiter came by to ask if I wanted anything else. I asked for the check, and he said that it was automatically put on Eddie's tab, so I didn't need to worry about it. With the way he was acting, I didn't want to wait around for one of the guys to come get me. So I asked them to call me a cab. Apparently Oswald doesn't want his elite customers taking taxis, so he had one of his drivers take me home."  
  
Swan returned with their drinks and food, and Ivy frowned as Dee downed half of her drink before the woman had set the food down. Before the waitress left, Dee stopped her.  
  
"I think I need something stronger. Eddie has some scotch on hold for him. Would you please bring that over here? I'll pay for it myself," she said, handing over two hundred-dollar bills.  
  
She hesitated for a moment, until she saw Ivy give a discreet nod; a voucher that it would be all right. "The scotch might cost more than this, miss..."  
  
"Query. Or Q. Here." She handed over another two hundred. "Just bring it over. And a clean glass."  
  
The waitress nodded, and headed over to the bar. Who was she to argue if this woman was going to be drinking the Riddler's personal stash of scotch? The woman obviously was close enough to the man to know that he had his own bottle. She returned quickly with the requested bottle and glass, setting them down.  
  
"Anything else?"  
  
"No. This is perfect, thank you," replied Dee, giving the woman a warm smile.  
  
Once the woman was away, Dee poured an inch of scotch into the bottom of the tumbler. In one quick toss, the glass was empty, and she was refilling it. She could feel the scotch burn down to her empty belly and swiftly spread through her body.  
  
"Where was I? Oh, yeah. So I get to the hideout and I walk in. I expected to find the place empty. But it wasn't! It wasn't empty at all!" More scotch disappeared into the frazzled redhead. "There was Eddie, on the floor, rolling around with these two... Two..." More scotch. "Sluts! They were _sluts_, Pam!"  
  
Ivy ate her salad slowly, watching her friend. _She must really be a lightweight,_ she thought.  
  
The alcohol was affecting her extremely fast. Already Dee looked flushed, and was wavering in her seat. Since the bottle had been set before her a mere five minutes ago, Dee had three of her generous servings, and was now going for her fourth. Pam had the curtain of ivy part, and she waved Swan over.  
  
"Would you please bring her a bowl of soup and some bread? I think she's going to need it," she asked, as Dee was busy concentrating on pouring the next glass without spilling everywhere.  
  
"They had their hands all over him, and they were undressing him! You should have seen the way they were dressed! They had these tiny little leather... I don't know! They looked like leather bikinis! With metal studs! I never even knew he liked that sort of thing! He certainly never... Never..." She paused, blinking and leaning her head against the back of the seat.  
  
The soup and bread arrived, and the waitress set them down silently, hurrying off to leave her customers in privacy.  
  
"I take it that you two have done the deed. I don't think you'd be this mad if you hadn't."  
  
If possibly, Dee's flush deepened. "Pam! That's none of your business!"  
  
"Maybe. But that just answered it. So you two have slept together now! How was it? Did you have a good time?"  
  
Still blushing, Dee got a wistful smile on her face and nodded. "He was wonderful."  
  
"He isn't bad, but I've had better," Ivy said offhandedly.  
  
Dee choked on the scotch in her mouth, spitting what didn't go down her air passage onto the table. "What?!"  
  
"I said he wasn't bad. Didn't he tell you?"  
  
Her eye started twitching, and her knuckles grew white as she tightened her grip on her glass. "Tell me?"  
  
"Yes. It was right after he broke up with that Doris woman, and then had that awful blind double date that Harvey set him up with. Some girl who called herself Clurissa." Ivy rolled her eyes. "The woman had it bad for the Cluemaster. None of us understood that. But Eddie showed up at the bar and, at the time, Harvey and I were quarreling. He was dating that tramp, Roxy. They decided to buzz the 'berg, and... Well, Eddie said some stuff I didn't particularly care for."  
  
"Care for?" Dee asked, still in drunken shock. The twitch moved to her other eye.  
  
"Yes. He made some comments about what Harv and Roxy were doing on her rocket. I took him home with me and kept him going for quite a while, if you get my meaning. It meant nothing, of course. Just a one night fling we had."  
  
The glass in her hand shattered just then, and as she continued to squeeze a shard in her hand, blood oozed out and onto the table. Dee's eye had stopped twitching, but she now ground her teeth as she stared at the woman across from her.  
  
"One night... Fling..."  
  
"Yeah. Eddie isn't bad in bed, but I like a little more oomph. You know, you're not the prettiest thing to enter his life. He's probably slept with every woman he's hired at least once. He's easily swayed by a pretty face..."  
  
Ivy got no further as Dee launched herself across the table with a snarl. The bottle of scotch went flying out, smashing on the polished wood floor; the soup onto the seat. The two women tumbled out of the booth, into the puddle of alcohol, and rolled across the floor toward the bar. Tangram hopped around them, snarling and growling as the women struggled. Dee's hair was practically standing on end as she glared daggers at the woman whose throat she was trying to crush.  
  
"Let me go, Q!"  
  
"No! You're just as much a tramp as those others! What is with the woman in this city?! Why can't any of you just keep your meat hooks out of him?" she snarled, punching Ivy in the eye.  
  
"Ow! Damnit, Q!"  
  
She tried to say more, but Dee now put both hands around Ivy's throat, squeezing. Knowing her friend was drunk, hurt, angry, and acting totally out of character, Ivy did not want to hurt her. However, Ivy wasn't about to let the woman beat her up over something that had meant nothing to either her or Edward. So she began releasing a toxin through her skin, into Dee's. In seconds, Dee's grip started to weaken, and she slumped over, onto the floor. Ivy sat up, rubbing her throat and coughing as she regained her breath.  
  
"Pamela, I can't even trust you to come in here for dinner, can I?" demanded Oswald, appearing out of nowhere.  
  
Wincing, Ivy looked up at the angry proprietor. "Look, Ozzie, she's the one who went all crazy on me. Everything was fine until..." Glancing back at the path they had taken, Ivy took stock of the broken glasses and dishes that had fallen off the tables they had bumped as they rolled past. "I'll pay for the damages. The girl has had a really bad day, ok? Give her a break."  
  
Two bouncers had arrived, and now helped both women up. Dee remained unconscious, as one of the bouncers tossed her over his shoulder. Reluctantly, Oswald nodded, turning to leave. As he did, he noticed the broken bottle of scotch.  
  
"I really hope that was paid for, and that it wasn't what I think it was."  
  
"It was. She asked for his scotch, and she got his scotch. But she paid for it herself, ok? She gave Swan four hundred dollars for it. That should cover it, shouldn't it?"  
  
"The bottle wasn't full, Mr. Cobblepot," the bartender chimed up. "The money was more than enough."  
  
"Very well. I'd like you to go for the night, Pam. I'll let you know what the damages add up to and put it on your tab, as usual."  
  
"Fine, Ozzie," Ivy said with a roll of her eyes. "You two behemoths want to help me out to the car with her?"  
  
With Dee settled into the passenger seat, her tiger on her lap, Pam popped the glove box open and took out a hypodermic. She flicked the air bubbles to the top, and squeezed out a small amount of the fluid to clear the needle. Reassuring the cat that everything was ok, she injected the contents into Dee's arm. It was nothing more than an immunity shot against toxins, the same that she had given Harley when they first met. She didn't have to do it; she could have simply adjusted the toxins in her skin and touched her friend to give the antidote. But it was the least she could do after blabbering about sleeping with Eddie.  
  
_Really stupid, Pam. Really stupid. She obviously didn't know any of that, and would have been better off not knowing about it!_  
  
Dee slowly came around. Tangram licked her chin to hurry her along. Flinching, Dee opened her eyes.  
  
"What... Where am I?"  
  
"Just outside and in my car. You had a bit too much to drink, honey. I think we should get you home so you can get some rest."  
  
For a moment, Dee sat there quietly. Then her chin began to tremble, and she turned angrily to Ivy who was crouched down next to the door. Ivy smiled at her, giving her leg a pat. Dee punched Ivy in the nose.  
  
"You traitorous bitch! Tree hugging harlot! Leafy lush!" she cried, stumbling out of the car.  
  
Without another word, Dee stumbled off down the street, cursing Poison Ivy as she went. Pam was left sprawled on her back on the sidewalk. Too dazed to move quickly, Ivy laid there for a moment. By the time she felt well enough to stand, Dee was out of sight. Touching her nose, she felt the stickiness of blood. With a sigh, she headed back into the Iceberg, and went to clean herself up in the restroom.   
  



	4. Thorn In the Side

  
  
It took all three of us to get the two out of the hideout. They had tried coercing the guys to listen to them, to get them to make me let them stay. Oddly enough, Benny and Trigger wanted nothing to do with Nina and Diedre. They were more than willing to help kick the two out. I warned them that they were not to show up here again, or alert any law enforcement, including Batman to this particular hideout. If they did, they would find themselves knocked out, trussed up, and sailing out of Gotham on the first cargo ship I could find.  
  
Once they were gone, the two helped me start cleaning up. Both offered to call their sisters and have them come over. I knew that Trigger's sister, Sarah, ran a small cleaning company, and after a quick call, she agreed to come over, bringing her van, and Benny's two sisters, along with a couple cousins. Why the two were being so helpful in getting the place cleaned up, I wasn't certain. They had never cared if the place was neat, only caring if there was food in the fridge.  
  
When their families arrived to help, I went back to take a look at the bedroom and my study. Both were in shambles. Thankfully my desk was in one piece, and the safe unopened. After the last time those two had robbed me blind, I had engineered my own safeties and installed them on the safe. From the looks, however, they had tried everything short of blowing the safe open to get to the contents.  
  
The bedroom was another matter. They had slashed the mattress open, and shredded the bedding. Both my clothing and Dee's lay strewn about the room. I cringed when I noticed evidence that the girls had not spent the entire time here alone. After getting a trash bag, and a pair of gloves, I started to clean up in there.  
  
A couple hours of cleaning, and I had the room respectfully clean. New furniture would need to be ordered, but that could wait. I had more important things to do, and I needed someplace quiet to think about what had happened. I decided to go down to the Iceberg to have a drink and do my thinking. Leaving the place in good hands, and giving the men a couple thousand to buy any paint or cleaning supplies they'd need, I left to catch a taxi.  
  
"The usual, my good man," I said, settling myself in one of the barstools.  
  
"Everything ok, Mr. Nigma?" the bartender asked.  
  
"Peachy," I replied, sipping the liquor.  
  
"Eddie, what are you doing here?" a voice asked.  
  
I turned to see Pamela Isley walking toward me. She looked rather disheveled.  
  
"Hello, Pam. That's a nice black eye you've got there. Where in the world did you get it?"  
  
She gave a mirthless snort of laughter. "Your girlfriend. She came to see me at the park just as I was heading out to dinner. Brought her here and..."  
  
"Dee's here? Where is she?" I asked, looking around. Perhaps this whole misunderstanding could be worked out tonight.  
  
But Pam shook her head, waving her hand impatiently. "She's gone. Got herself good and drunk on your scotch, which she broke, by the way."  
  
I didn't care. Sure, it was an expensive bottle, but I was more worried about her. "She got drunk?" That didn't sound like her. "You sure it was Dee?"  
  
"Positive. She told me what happened. Not very smart, Eddie. Did you leave your brains in Europe?"  
  
I just glared at her. She had no right to insult my intelligence, especially since she didn't know the whole story. Even Dee didn't know the whole story. "So what made her hit you?" _Not that I blame her,_ I added to myself.  
  
"Oh, I told her about us, Doris, Clurissa, those girls you hired..."  
  
I spat my scotch out. "You what?! Have you completely lost your mind? Have you been sniffing the fertilizer, you idiot?"  
  
Grabbing her by the arm, and making damn certain that I had her by a part covered with fabric, I dragged her out of the Iceberg. As an added bonus, I made certain the hold I had was somewhat painful to her.  
  
"God damnit, Pam! What the hell were you thinking telling her about that? She didn't need to know that, and I never planned on telling her that! And it wasn't like I actually wanted to sleep with you. Not only that, but the whole thing with you is just an embarrassment to me! She didn't need to know about any of what you told her! You and I both know that Clurissa was one of Harvey's great mistakes, and that nothing happened!"  
  
"You have it all wrong, Edward. Sleeping with you is the embarrassment," she said coldly.  
  
"I'll bet you never mentioned what you did to me that night to Harvey, did you?" I asked, giving her a shake.  
  
"Harvey wouldn't care."  
  
"Bullshit, Pam. You know he would and that he'd come after me if his coin told him to do so. I'm certain in your telling you would leave out how you dosed me up with those damned pheromones of yours. I do believe that that is the equivalent to rape. That's all you are when you do that to a man; a rapist." With a shove, I released her, sending her stumbling back a couple of paces. "Where is she now?"  
  
"I have no idea. I took her out to my car, planning on taking her home so she could sleep the scotch off. But instead, she punched me and took off!"  
  
"Good. That's the least of what you deserve for your interference tonight."  
  
I turned and walked away, leaving her fuming. Why in the world would she ever go and do something like telling Dee about those others? Dee certainly knew she had not been my first, but I had been her first. That meant more to me than all the others put together. Telling her of the others I had been with had never been in my plans. If she had asked, I would have told her. The fact that she hadn't let me know that she didn't want to know.  
  
A couple blocks from the Iceberg, I hailed a cab, asking to be dropped off at Robinson Park. If Dee had gone over in my car, and then gone to the Iceberg with Pam, she would need to go back to the car at some point. With luck, I would catch her at the car.   
  



	5. Recuperation

  
  
There had never been a time in her life when she could say she had really gotten drunk. There had been moments where she was close, and those all had usually been with Manchu, either in his room, or her own, during one of their late night chat sessions. At this moment, she knew she was drunk. She was also getting cold, not having a jacket. Carrying Tangram helped some, because the tiger's thick fur kept her hands and bare arms warm.  
  
After a brief stop in a convenient store to get a bottle of water and bread, she continued on her way. She was slowly making her way back to Robinson Park, and the car. While she knew she couldn't drive right now, she hoped to be sober enough to drive when she got there. As she walked, she drank the water and ate as much of the bread as she could force herself to do. After four slices, she handed the rest of the loaf off to a homeless woman.  
  
When she got to the car, she was prepared to climb in and sleep there. Tangram's grumbling told her that it would be a bad idea. Able to stand straight now, without wobbling, Dee trusted herself to drive. She remembered that there was a place not too far from the park, called Palindrome, one of Eddie's satellite hideouts. There she would at least find a bed to sleep in, and be able to use the bathroom, something her bladder was begging to do.  
  
Pulling away from the park, she shook her head to wake herself up. She must be more tired than she though, for as she left the park, she could have sworn that she saw Eddie getting out of a taxi.  
  
"You need to sleep, dear. Stop and get more water first, some aspirin, and some food. Then go to bed, and don't get up until you've had enough sleep!"  
  


~ ~ ~

  
  
She had no trouble finding the puzzle shop and getting in. At first glance, she thought those two women that had been all over her boyfriend had been here as well. The place was a mess. However, after a quick look around, she found the place empty, and the mess to be just that of Benny and Trigger. Double bolting the door, and wedging a chair under the knob, she hurried and found the bathroom.  
  
Once cleaned up a bit, Dee changed from her scotch soaked clothing into some clean pajamas. The makeshift bedroom was cleaner than the rest of the hideout. At this point, however, she was past caring if the bed was clean. She could barely keep her head up, and by the time that she had settled under the musty smelling covers with Tangram, she was asleep.  
  
It wasn't until late the next morning that she was nudged awake by Tangram. The cub was hungry, and needed to go to the bathroom. He pranced around while she laid out a thick layer of newspapers for him to use. Knowing that there wouldn't be any food for him, she had purchased some beef liver and some pig's feet for him the night before. She set these on the counter now to bring them to room temperature before feeding him.  
  
"Well, sweetie, we have a decision to make. We can stay here, or we can go see Jiaoshu. And I would rather not get them involved in this mess right now," she said, scratching the tiger's back as he ate.  
  
He looked at her with his big, yellow eyes, and licked his whiskers. Blinking, he butted his head against her hand, making a noise that sounded close to a burp. She knew it to be a comfort noise, and placed a kiss on his head.  
  
"Ok, we'll stay here for a couple days. But I'm going to have to leave you here for a little bit to go do some laundry and get some more food, ok?"  
  
This time he didn't answer, concentrating on gnawing all the meat off the pig's food he held between his front paws. Shaking her head and smiling, Dee went to gather the bedding, and start cleaning up the place a bit. After laying out fresh newspaper for Tangram, she left to go run her errands.  
  
While she was out, she purchased cleaning supplies, food, and a couple of dishes for Tangram. She managed to talk the butcher of a small market to let her have the trimmings from the meat, as well as some poultry parts. This formed a large, squishy mass in the packages she now carried back into the hideout.  
  
"We have food, we have clean sheets to sleep in, and we have entertainment!" she announced, waving a thick word search book.  
  
Tangram grunted, nosing the packet of meat. Dee laughed, picking him and the meat up. As a treat, she had managed to get a beef heart, which she now handed over to the cub. Soon enough, his muzzle was covered with a thin layer of blood as he made the best of the treat.  
  
Settled in, and determined to stay in the hideout as long as she could, Dee made herself at home.   
  



	6. Stunning Changes

  
  
I spent three hours wandering in circles around the parking lots and streets surrounding Robinson Park in anticipation of finding my car, hoping that it contained my girlfriend. However, I found nothing, and only just managed to avoid Pam as she returned home. At the moment, I wanted nothing to do with her, but I knew I would have to face her and her anger eventually.  
  
Back at the warehouse, I found Benny and Trigger alone once more, devouring a pizza. Though I really wasn't hungry, I helped myself to a slice and sat down with them. Sarah had promised to return the next day to finish cleaning. I looked around, and realized that the place was going to need far more than just fresh paint to get rid of the presence of Nina and Diedre.  
  
"Boys, tomorrow we're going to be renting a truck, and we'll go around to get new furniture. So first thing in the morning, I'd like you to get a truck..."  
  
"Boss, we've already got a truck lined up, and a couple trustworthy friends to help us move everything," interrupted Trigger.  
  
Well, that was a surprise. Keeping a cool exterior, I nodded. "Good. Now I know you two don't get along with her, but I would like Dee to come back. You both know she isn't like the others, and she is an excellent addition to our gang..."  
  
Now it was Benny who interrupted me. "Um, Mr. Nigma? We want you to get her back. We, er... We like her. She treats us good, and doesn't yell at us like the others. That's why we're working so hard to get the place back to normal." He shrugged his enormous shoulders, as I sat in shock, the slice of pizza hanging from my hand, mouth open.  
  
"We even decided to pay for our own furniture so that you could get something better for your room. You know... Something that will impress her and..." Trigger began.  
  
"Enough. Stop right there. What goes on between Dee and me is our business, and I don't want to know that you two have put any thought into making it better for us. No." I squeezed my eyes closed and pinched the bridge of my nose with my free hand. "I appreciate the offer, and the thoughtfulness. I wouldn't have expected it from you two."  
  
"If I may be blunt, Mr. Nigma, you don't expect much from us. We stay loyal to you because you do treat us fairly, but you don't always realize that we're capable of more than you think," said Trigger. "But ever since she came around, you've been letting us do more things that we've been wanting to do; trusting us more. We like it."  
  
I stood up and set the pizza slice back in the box, in one piece. This was too much in one day. My faithful, usually slobbering mutts were showing signs of being nobler than a purebred. I began to think that I had perhaps gotten a bit of bad steak at lunch. Turning to them, I opened my mouth to say something, decided against it, and turned to go to my study.  
  
Closing the door behind myself, I shook my head, wandering over to my desk. Far too much in one day. First it was Nina and Diedre showing up. Then it was Dee walking in on something she had perceived as an orgy, and looking back, she had every right to think that's what it was. The crowning glory was Pam telling her about the night she had seduced me, forcing me to obey her command, though I doubted Pam mentioned the pheromones. I didn't care about Doris and that idiot Clurissa being mentioned. Those were easily explainable. Harder to explain would be the other girls. There really weren't as many as Pam, in her oversexed mind, believed. Benny and Trigger's behavior was the last thing I could handle after this day.  
  
Settling into my chair, I put my feet on my desk, and soon fell asleep. After what I had seen in my bedroom, there was no way I was going to be sleeping in there until it was cleaned and the new furniture in place.  
  


~ ~ ~

  
  
As we started taking things out to the truck early the next morning, it became apparent that the girls had done more than damage the furniture and paint the walls. On the carpets were stains that were best left without description. In addition to taking the destroyed furniture, we pulled up all of the carpets, rolling them and shoving them into the truck. I had to admit that the boys had chosen the truck wisely. Even with all of the furniture and rugs, there was still room left over.  
  
Very early Sarah showed up, bringing with her some very sleepy looking family members from both her family and Benny's. I left them with enough money to cover the expense of any food and additional supplies they might need. The night before, Benny and Trigger had gone out and purchased enough paint to paint the entire hideout. Without instruction, the younger members took up the drop cloths, spreading them out, covering the savable furniture in the center of the room. Before we had finished moving things out, the painting had started.  
  
Our first stop was at a flooring store where we purchased enough carpet for the rooms and hallway. I left out the bedroom that had been Dee's when she first arrived, planning on making the room into something for her tiger instead. While I waked to a nearby furniture store, I had the boys run the carpeting over to the hideout.  
  
By noon, we had replaced almost all of the furniture. Almost. I still needed to find a bed for my room, and I knew it would take a while before I found a chair to replace the one I had lost. The guys had been correct that I needed something that would impress her in a way that told her I did care about her. Something that said, "I did this all for you." It was at the fifth store we went to that I found the right bed. It was four poster, and solid cherry wood, the headboard carved with a simple scroll. She had made a point of mentioning how much she liked the bed that we had slept in while at the Monroes; I knew she would love this one. I didn't care about the price I just bought it.  
  
The truck loaded down with our purchases, we headed back to the hideout. The place looked amazing. The walls were all freshly painted and spotless, they were just finishing laying the carpet, and the entire place was clean. Giving instructions on where everything was to go, I then pulled aside one of Benny's sisters.  
  
"Sandy, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes, Mr. Nigma. Is there something I can do for you?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, there is. I need you to... I need help getting new linens, and I'm not certain where to start," I told her, somewhat embarrassed. I had chosen her, because I remembered hearing the guys talk about how good she was with redecorating. And I needed all the help I could get with that.  
  
"Not a problem, Mr. Nigma," she smiled. "We can go now, if you'd like? That'll give us time enough to wash everything before it gets too late."  
  
So I took more money out of the safe, and left with Benny's sister. I have to admit the woman put me at ease immediately. She knew exactly what to get, and how much to get. We ended up with a stack of new towels, sheets, blankets, throw blankets, pillows, and a few very nice comforters. I found a blanket that I insisted upon getting. It was thick, fluffy, and green. Dee was always getting cold, especially when she was tired, and I wanted her to have a warm blanket that was just hers.  
  
"The guys tell me that you're trying to get your lady back," she said as she continued to browse through the store.  
  
"They did, did they?" Couldn't anyone keep their mouth shut anymore?  
  
"They did." She smiled a strange, secretive smile. "If you really want to wow her when you finally get her to come home, you're going to need these. Lots of these," she said, taking two boxes of votive candles and dumping it into my arms. "Now you'll also need holders for all of that. Is there anything she likes?"  
  
"Um... She's fond of Chinese..."  
  
"Oh! Asian stuff is all the rage! No problem! We can stop in Chinatown on the way back and pick up a few things."  
  
I winced. There was a place I didn't want to be setting foot in without her. "How about I give you money to buy whatever you need from there, and you go and bring it back? I really should be getting back to the warehouse and work on a few things."  
  
Sandy shrugged. "Sure. As long as you trust me."  
  
"You've done a wonderful job so far. I trust that you'll do just fine in bringing things back."  
  
As we drove back, she turned to me. "You know what else you need? Flowers. Lots of flowers. Get a ton of her favorite flowers and put them all around. And if you really want to stun her, I suggest rose petals."  
  
"Rose petals," I repeated, tonelessly.  
  
"Yes! Sprinkle them all over the bed, and make a trail of them to the bed! I guarantee she will come back to you if you do this. And make her dinner. Make her a nice, romantic dinner!"  
  
Why? Why did everyone see fit to suddenly give me advice on my relationship? Before that, it was ridicule. I needed a drink. I made the excuse of going out to buy her something, and left for the Iceberg. On the way, I placed a call to Kittlemeier and asked him to make replacements of the lost clothing items. Nina and Diedre had left nothing of Dee's untouched. Remembering that Dee had all of her undergarments made for her, I found the number for Madame Hsia's in Chinatown. I asked the woman to please make new garments for Dee. I was surprised when the woman readily agreed, saying that she could have the items to me late the next day. She also agreed to be discreet about the whole thing.  
  
At the Iceberg, my mind somewhat settled, I proceeded to imbibe more scotch than was wise at the moment. It left me dizzy, and rambling, but I didn't care. The bartender took away my scotch bottle after a while, pushing food and water at me. Not wanting to end up in Oswald's drunk tank, I ate the offered food, sobering up a great deal. Before I left, I asked the bartender to pass the word around to the other employees that if Dee set foot in the club, they were to call me immediately.   
  



	7. Trollop, Party of Two?

  
  
Dee spent all of two days barricaded in Palindrome, with only Tangram to keep her company. She couldn't find anything on the radio to hold her attention enough, and there was no television here. Instead, she spent hours working on the puzzle book she had purchased. Once she finished a puzzle, she took the time to search for words that had mistakenly been added, or playing around with the jumble of leftover letters.  
  
On the night of the second day, she grew bored. Her food had consisted of crackers, ramen, and some fruit. She was in the mood for a real meal now, and she wanted some meat. Though she was loath to return to the place, she decided to go to the Iceberg Lounge. If anything, she knew she could get a good meal, as well as have her tiger with her for company. Gathering his leash and collar, she called him to her.  
  
"We're going to go see that icky bird, darling. He has good food for the both of us. And Mommy is very hungry right now, so I want you to be on your best behavior tonight, ok?"  
  
The cub responded by licking her cheek. She smiled as she gathered him into her arms. He was starting to get almost too big for her to carry. Tangram sat on the passenger seat, nose pressed to the glass as Dee headed for the Iceberg. When she arrived, she allowed the valet to take the car, walking straight into the club, and getting a seat immediately.  
  
"Query, you came back," the waitress, Swan, said.  
  
"Yes. I want to apologize for last time. I was having a really bad day, and..."  
  
"No need to explain. We've all heard what happened. I can't believe that he would do such a thing to you! Mr. Cobblepot sends his regards, and wanted to let you know that you're welcome here any time. Now what can I get you tonight?"  
  
Dee placed her order, and was surprised when Swan brought over Eddie's bottle of scotch. She gave a wink, and told her to take it easy this time. Nodding, Dee poured herself some scotch and sipped it while she waited for her meal. When her meal arrived, she ate silently. Her mind had ground to a halt, having so much to process, she wasn't certain where to start. Swan came back to check on Dee now and then, making certain the woman was being careful with the scotch.  
  
"Well, well. Look who we have here," a voice sneered.  
  
When Dee looked up, she was confronted with the two women she had seen in the hideout. She was not shocked by the fact that they were still dressed like cheap hookers, but she was shocked that they were at the Iceberg. More shocked that they had actually found her. Tangram bristled as the two slid into the booth. With a quick wave of her hand, Dee ordered him quiet.  
  
"So you're the one that has Eddie all up in arms." the blonde said.  
  
"Yeah. Why he chose you over us is a mystery. Did someone hit you with the ugly stick?" the brunette asked.  
  
Lips pressed tightly together, Dee filled the glass almost full of scotch. She took a sip, counting to ten. She knew she was a far cry from these two, and had always been aware of it. The kids in the orphanage never let her forget how ugly they thought she was. Only Eddie had ever made her truly feel pretty, though Manchu and others had said she was.  
  
Swan had noticed the two enter the booth, and hurried to Oswald's office. She quickly told him that the two women responsible for the argument between the Riddler and Query had managed to get into the club. Not only that, but they had seated themselves at Query's table. Oswald growled. Whoever had let them in was fired.  
  
Oswald instructed her to gather a few men from security. Before she left, she informed him that Edward Nigma had been notified that Query was in the club, as he had requested. Grumbling to himself as he tugged his jacket on, he made a mental note to have a discussion with Edward to keep his domestic disputes at home, where they belonged.  
  
"To what do I owe the displeasure of your company?" she asked.  
  
"We just wanna talk, girl to girl to girl," Diedre said, a smile floating on her face as she gave Nina a wink.  
  
"You should've stayed. We had quite the party after you left," Nina added.  
  
"He wanted you to stay, but we convinced him that we'd have more fun with just the three of us there."  
  
Dee took a gulp of scotch. She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't stop herself. Had it not been in front of her, she wouldn't be drinking at all. Instead of looking at the women, she concentrated on the glass in front of her.  
  
"It's funny. We would never have suspected that he'd hook up with a prude like you," Nina said.  
  
Sip.  
  
"A prude and a troll. Seriously, was he drunk when he met you? Tell us the truth!" Diedre laughed.  
  
Gulp.  
  
"I think that answers it all. We noticed how sick you looked when you saw his dick hanging out. Scared of them are you?" Diedre asked, nudging Nina.  
  
_Breathe. Control your anger. Do not let them push you. Do not..._  
  
"Maybe the reason he's keeping her around is that she's a lesbo. You a lesbo, girlie? Like a little pussy? We swing that way on occasion. Wanna have a threesome?"  
  
By now Dee had consumed the entire glass. Full stomach or not, she was drunk. The smirking faces of the two hovered in front of her.  
  
"The only thing that scares me are your manners. No, that's a lie. Your fashion sense scares me too. Whores R Us having a blow out sale?"  
  
Nina was the first one to throw a punch. Drunk or not, Dee still had enough control over her reflexes to duck. She quickly got herself out of the booth, Tangram following as usual. Standing unsteadily out in the open, Dee readied herself should the women come at her. The two stood as one, each moving to flank Dee. The security men, having kept an eye on the situation, started cautiously closing in on the trio.  
  
"We told you once, girlie, to watch what you said to us." Diedre threw the second punch, this time catching Dee in the jaw.  
  
Stumbling back, Dee regained her balance, tasting the blood in her mouth. Her ring was in her pocket, but taking the time to get it out and put it on would take too much attention away from the two women. She couldn't afford that in her state.  
  
With a nod to each other, the two swarmed Dee. All three hit the floor, nothing more than a pile of flying fists and feet. Nina and Diedre soon found that Dee was still quite capable of fighting. The two resorted to hair pulling and scratching, squealing when Dee would land a punch or kick.  
  
As fast as it had started, it was over. Three hulking bouncers had a tight grip on one woman each. They dragged the struggling women over to where Oswald stood. The man was fuming, chewing the end of his cigarette holder. He wasn't certain where to start with these three.  
  
"I am certainly disappointed in the behavior shown here tonight. How you two got in, I have no idea," he said, addressing Nina and Diedre. "Either way, you two are banned for life. If you ever set foot in my club again, I shall be forced to call the police on you."  
  
Oswald turned to Dee, who hung limply in the arms of the bouncer. Her hair fell across her face, but he could see the welts of scratches appearing all over her exposed skin. With effort, she lifted her head.  
  
"I think I'm going to be sick," she croaked.  
  
"Get her to the restroom, quickly!" he urged, not wanting her to be sick on his imported wood floor. The bouncer holding her picked her up and hurried away. "You two take the trash out. Bring whoever let them in to my office immediately. When Edward Nigma gets here, bring him straight to my office."   
  



	8. Caught

  
  
Raven called me the third night that Dee had gone missing. Apparently she had been sitting at the Iceberg for the last half hour, eating dinner. Why they hadn't called me the moment she had arrived, I didn't know. Raven informed me that she had sent a driver to pick me up. Now I sat in the back, wondering how I was going to get her to come back.  
  
"Where is she?" I asked the moment I walked in.  
  
"Mr. Cobblepot wants to see you in his office," said Raven.  
  
"He can wait. Where is Dee?"  
  
She shook her head. "He said he wanted to see you the moment you came in. I'm sorry, Mr. Nigma," she apologized, leading me back.  
  
"Oswald," I said curtly, looking around his office.  
  
"Edward. Please have a seat."  
  
"Listen, Oswald, I know that you want to talk to me, but this is important. Where is Dee?"  
  
"Sit down. Now."  
  
Narrowing my eyes at him, I sat. Until he had his say, I knew I wouldn't see Dee, unless I forced the fat bird to do so. Nevertheless, I knew I should save my energy for dealing with Dee.  
  
"Edward, you are a good customer of mine. You know that. You're often a great source of information, and I appreciate that. But as businessmen, we both know that a certain decorum must be kept in public. What happens in private does not enter into business."  
  
I knew where he was headed with this. "Oswald, I'm very sorry about the other night. Dee doesn't generally drink like that. From what I can understand, her actions were accelerated by Pam's words. There's usually a reason for her lashing out as she did."  
  
"This isn't about the other night, Edward. This is about tonight. She came in her for dinner. That was all fine and good. We've all heard what happened between you two."  
  
_Damn you, Pam! Can't you keep that maw of yours shut?!_  
  
I grunted, folding my arms across my chest.  
  
"Domestic disputes should be just that. Domestic. Airing your dirty laundry in public is not something you need to be doing. Things would have been fine if those two strumpets you used to employ hadn't come in. In the time those two sat down at her table, your girlfriend managed to get herself drunk. It didn't take long for those two to start throwing punches. Two catfights in my bar involving your girl. Those are not good odds!"  
  
"I understand your concern; really, I do. And if you would just bring her to me, I assure you that I will handle things from here."  
  
He pressed the button of his intercom. "Bring Query in, please."  
  
I turned toward the door and watched as one of Oswald's behemoths entered with Dee in his arms. She looked to have passed out. The sight of all the scratches all over her worried me. I looked down to see Tangram peeking out from behind the man's legs.  
  
"What happened to Nina and Diedre?"  
  
"I threw them out. They're banned for life. You and this girl are banned for a week." He stopped to hand me a sheet of paper. "Your fine, Edward. Two thousand. I am being generous, given the circumstances that brought these events to my bar. Next time I won't be quite so charitable."  
  
The bastard. "Fine. I'll send one of my men over with the money tomorrow. If you'll excuse me, I would like to get her home."  
  
"She brought your car. The valet will have it waiting for you."  
  
Nodding my thanks, I took Dee from the bouncer.  
  
"And Edward?"  
  
"Yes?" I said, controlling the urge to roll my eyes.  
  
"Don't forget to tip the valet, hm?"  
  
I suppressed the growl as I left his office. Still, I gnashed my teeth together, fuming, as I left the club. The valet opened the passenger door for me, and I deposited Dee on the seat, securing her before putting the tiger on her lap. To make certain that Oswald didn't think I was a tightwad, I left the valet with a hundred dollar tip.  
  
Arriving back at the warehouse, I took Dee back in my arms. She certainly had done a number on herself, even without the fight. Benny and Trigger watched as I walked down the hall with her, closing the door to our room. I set her on the bed.  
  
"Dee? C'mon and wake up for me."  
  
She groaned and rolled her head back and forth. A sour look settled on her face, and she mumbled, "I need to throw up."  
  
Quickly I helped her into the bathroom, pulling her hair back as she heaved over the toilet. I reminded myself to never get her drunk. For the next half hour, Dee hovered over the toilet. I left her for a moment to get water. When I came back, she was asleep on the floor, a toothbrush (mine) in her mouth, and toothpaste dribbling out of the corners of her mouth. I wiped her mouth clean, and picked her back up, taking her to bed. Trying to get her changed into pajamas was like trying to dress jelly. All of her limbs were limp, and while she became semi-conscious, she remained a dead weight.  
  
By the time I got her under the covers, I was exhausted myself. My plan had been to get her from the Iceberg, bring her back, and apologize to her, explaining everything. I had also planned on lighting the room with candles, as Sandy had suggested. All of those plans fell through now. Getting myself ready for bed, I crawled in next to Dee.  
  
"Mm. Eddie," she mumbled, cuddling up to me.  
  
For a moment, I wasn't certain if she was awake or not. Either way, I put an arm around her.  
  
"You're home now," I assured her.  
  
"Eddie," she mumbled again. This time she raised herself some. Her eyes were half open, and she smiled at me.  
  
To my surprise, she started kissing me. I tried to push her back, but she crawled on top of me.  
  
"Make love to me?" she whispered, kissing me again.  
  
"Tempting, but no. You're drunk, and I'm not certain if you forgive me yet," I said, pushing her off me.  
  
"Please? Please, my tiger?" she begged, her speech slurred.  
  
"No, Dee. Absolutely not." I stilled her wandering hands, holding them down. I noticed that her right hand was injured. The cut looked clean, however, and was healing just fine.  
  
"They called me an ugly troll," she murmured. "Said I was a lesbian."  
  
A heavy sigh came from her, and she started weeping, pressing her face against me. I sighed myself and held her. She drifted between sleep and semi-consciousness, saying my name, and whimpering. I could have given in to her request, but I knew that if I did, I would be in more trouble than if I turned her down. She was emotional enough without liquor. With it, she was a tempest.   
  



	9. Goodbye

  
  
The first thing that caught her attention was the pounding headache she had. Vaguely, she remembered having gotten drunk again last night. She was really beginning to hate the Iceberg Lounge. Each visit had resulted in nothing but trouble, getting worse every time.  
  
The second thing she became aware of was that she was nestled against something warm. It felt good, and she cuddled closer. Only when what she thought was a pillow under her head moved did she realize that she was in bed with someone.  
  
_Oh, Buddha! Please tell me I did not sleep with someone last night!_ she thought, scared to open her eyes now.  
  
Slowly, cautiously, she opened her eyes, carefully pushing back from the man holding her. Her eyes went wide when she saw Eddie next to her. How she had gotten there, she had no idea. The jolt of shock jarred her stomach, and she gagged. Quickly she covered her mouth, throwing the covers back and running into the bathroom.  
  
When she was reduced to dry heaves, she rinsed her mouth, and then sat back against the tub. In no way did she want to be near him right now. Her anger with him had not subsided. If anything, it had grown after seeing those two women again, bragging about what had happened after she left. She had never felt as small as she had when the two then physically attacked her.  
  
"Dee? Kitten, are you ok?"  
  
Giving the door a glare, she stood on wobbly legs. Using the counter for support, she carefully took her toothbrush from its holder, looking it over. Finding it to be new, she then put some paste on it and began scrubbing her teeth. They felt fuzzy. While she brushed, she looked around, noting that all of the towels, mats, and even the towel racks were new. The pajamas she had on were new as well.  
  
"Kitten, if you don't answer me, I'm going to come in there."  
  
She spat into the sink. "Go away."  
  
"Not until we talk."  
  
"There's nothing to talk about."  
  
"There's everything to talk about. You were talking in your sleep last night. They were calling you names last night, weren't they?"  
  
Dee slammed the toothbrush back into the holder with more force than necessary. "You have no idea what I have gone through since we got back," she shouted, throwing the door open. "There were things about you I didn't want to know. Things that were best left unsaid, because I knew how much they would hurt me if I did know them. But I know them now, Edward. I know them now!"  
  
"You know what they told you. You haven't heard my side!" he shouted back.  
  
Pushing past him, she looked around for her clothing. Grabbing them from the floor, she stormed back into the bathroom. "I don't want to hear anything from you."  
  
"Then you don't want to hear the truth," he said evenly.  
  
Her clothes were hastily pulled on, and she stomped back out, grabbing up her shoes. "The truth, Edward?" she hissed. "The truth is that you have fucked so many girls that I really am just another number! For Buddha's sake, you've even fucked Poison Ivy!" Tapping the toes of her shoes on the floor, she looked around for anything else that she might have had. The only missing thing was Tangram, and she could only guess that he was outside of the room. "We can't keep doing this, Edward. I can't keep doing this. I wanted a stable relationship. There's too much history with you that I don't know, and it keeps coming back to bite me in the ass. I'm tired. Tired of it all."  
  
"Dee, I will tell you anything you want. You just have to ask."  
  
Tears coursing down her cheeks, she shook her head stubbornly. "No. No more. I can't do this! Don't you understand? Of course you don't. Guys never understand things like this. You would never understand what it's like to feel used, cheated, played with... I can't compete with women like them. I can't even hope to compete with them."  
  
"Dee..."  
  
She shook her head again, refusing to look at him. "No," she said quietly.  
  
Without another word, she opened the bedroom door. Tangram greeted her, rearing up. Bending over, she scooped him up.  
  
"Time to go, sweetie," she whispered.  
  
He was paralyzed, and could only watch as she closed the door behind her. Words refused to come from his mouth. After what seemed an eternity, he was able to move his feet. Shuffling to the door, he threw it open. She wasn't in the hallway, but down at the end, Benny and Trigger were there. They looked from the garage door, and back up at him.  
  
"Dee?" he croaked.  
  
Trigger shook his head, giving his boss a pitying look.  
  
"She's gone, Mr. Nigma," Benny said.   
  



End file.
